Economic Development and Environmental Protection - Term Paper Example

 Economic Development and Environmental Protection The rate of economic development around the world and the speed of ecological destruction of the environment have both risen over time. When European explorers first discovered America, they found a land which was rich with the bounty of nature and huge tracts of land covered by forests. Much of this forest was simply burnt away to make way for developments in terms of new cities and farmland to feed the people living in the new cities. The population growth of developing countries is forcing a repeat of the same process today as forests are burnt or cut away to provide farmland and fuel for the people living around the forests (Hertsgaard, 1997). The deforestation of certain regions of the world is certainly compounding the pollution problem since this deforestation and rise in pollution levels often takes place in countries that have precious few remaining options for economic growth (Hertsgaard, 1997). For example, forests in India are being cut away to make room for growing cities and farmland for villages. The Gir forest is one example of a region which is being cut away to make the land available to mango farms and quarries for limestone. Millions of hectares in forest land are destroyed annually around the world of which the majority takes place in locations like South America (Mabogunje, 2002). At the same time, the pollution levels of cities and industrial zones in South America are approaching a critical level as more than ninety five percent of the forest land in Brazil and Costa Rica is gone. In the Philippines, 90% of the land covered with forests is now being used for other purposes. If this situation is allowed to continue unchecked, within a few years, there would be no forests left in developing countries except in zones which are dedicated to habitat protection and forest preservation where armed guards protect the trees (Rich, 1994). Undoubtedly, it is human activity and human growth which is causing pressure on the ecological systems of the planet. These activities take place at a very high rate in nations like India and China which are seeking to make their mark in terms of economic development and progress. While they seek development, they also utilize fossil fuels and whenever these are used to drive cars, provide power to offices or run the wheels of industry, significant pollution is added to the ecological system (Hertsgaard, 1997). While a certain amount of pollution can be handled by nature, excess pollutants and greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide and other chemicals upset the delicate ecological balance. The present the rate of pollution in these developing countries also means that their cities have become some of the worst offenders in terms of pollution. This certainly supports the notion that environmental degradation goes hand in hand with development for some countries but there is more to the story than simple economic development. If economic development was the only issue than the simplest means of protecting the environment would be to prevent these countries from developing and to stop all activities that can cause pollution in the environment (Mabogunje, 2002). However, is almost unthinkable to ask people to stop using cars or other services which are required for human development and social progress. In many situations, the human need for development brings masses out of abject poverty even though it takes away the homes for many animals while hurting the ecology of a region. The solution to the problem has to come from both ends in terms of how development takes place, and how the effects of human development can be mitigated to have the least negative, if not a wholly positive, impact on the world’s environment. Essentially, the world bodies which help the development process must look for alternative means in terms of how they help developing countries and how they seek to satisfy the needs of the people in developing nations (Rich, 1994). For developed nations as well as those seeking to become developed nations, controls and measures have to be created for reducing and eliminating industrial pollutants. The processes which hurt the environment have to be minimized and awareness levels have to be improved if any real and permanent solution to the problem is to be realized. At the present moment, it is clear that neither the people nor the governments of many countries are taking a long view of the environmental situation. Economic development and growth seem to be their primary concern as environmental preservation takes a back seat to dollars and pounds (Mabogunje, 2002). However, if the environment is not protected today, a few years from now it could become a critical problem even more important than the economic development issued. It is impossible to debate which issue takes priority since both issues can result in the devastation of a country and leave it at the edge of oblivion. Of course there are several means which governments and international bodies can use to handle the issues involved and the first of which is to establish recycling programs, create awareness campaigns and even to condition lending with programs that show results in terms of what the country is doing to protect and preserve its natural heritage (Rich, 1994). However, these steps come under the process of good governance and not lending alone. Least Developed Countries (LDCs) may feel threatened if institutes like the World Bank and the IMF force their social and economic development loans with various conditions that may be difficult for them to meet within given timeframes. Therefore, to protect the environment, the lending institutions of the world can provide incentive programs which give additional developmental support if developing nations can meet certain targets while protecting their environment. Technology can be of great help in situations where farmland is being created through the removal of forest areas as newer varieties of genetically modified seeds can be used to yield a higher output from the same lands. Additionally, green transport systems which cause less pollution and are less damaging to the environment can be provided to replace older transport systems which could measureable reduce pollution in developing cities around the world. The situation is certainly not all doom and gloom since some nations in developing zones have already noticed the potential economic benefits of protecting and maintaining their environments. Ecotourism is one such benefit and wildlife safaris could also bring in a lot of cash as these nations see tourists from around the world come to experience their natural surroundings. To fully develop such programs and facilities, they would need outside consultancy and even development aid to go towards tourism programs that can also protect certain zones in the country as green zones where additional environmental regulations are put in place. In conclusion, environmental development and economic development should not be seen as mutually exclusive because it is certainly possible for both to come up at the same time. However, one should not be given preference at the expense of the other. What the world needs to do is find a balance between the two since neither would be useful for the people living in the relatively poor regions of the world without the other. It remains up to the future policy makers and international analysts of the world to ensure that while we develop the world to help all those who are around us, we do not end up destroying our environment to the extent that global warming and industrial pollution destroy what we have spent thousands of years in creating i.e., our civilization. Works Cited Hertsgaard, M. 1997, ‘Our Real China Problem’, The Atlantic Monthly, November. Mabogunje, A. 2002, ‘Poverty and Environmental Degradation: Challenges with the Global Economy’, Environment, January/February 2002. Rich, B. 1994, ‘Decade of Debacles,” in Rich, B, Mortgaging the Earth: The World Bank, Environmental Impoverishment, and the Crisis of Development. Word Count: 1,322 Read More